Mobilization Order Assembly (2)

The Emergency Mobilization Hotline—introduced amid massive upheaval to active-duty and reserve force command structures under national defense reforms—was a new communication system. It served multiple purposes, but its primary use was efficiently managing reserve resources during full mobilization orders or training scenarios. It wasn't limited to reserve soldiers; it encompassed firefighters, police, medical personnel, and any other civilian resources the nation might need. Reserve officers, especially those of high priority, often lacked the constant oversight of active-duty officers, so the hotline provided crucial support in emergencies. Automated from a small unmanned underground bunker, it stayed operational even in disasters.

A familiar female voice from the automated response system announced it. With the government's and military's command structures obliterated, functions like guiding stranded active-duty soldiers or civilian tech experts to safety were paralyzed. Only reserve emergency mobilization info, controlled purely by automated programs, remained accessible. It recited preset peacetime reserve assignments via algorithm, so it functioned without a headquarters.

I pressed 2.

No profanity warning about "someone's precious family member" played, since it was an AI.

A young man's vigorous voice responded, contrasting the previous ARS woman's tone. It was the voice actor for the Army mascot, Patriot.

"Reserve officer Seo Jinsu. I want to know my assigned unit or defense point after the full mobilization order."

I input them via the touchpad.

The infection spread so fast that by the time the national full mobilization was declared, the capital had already fallen. Bitter irony, but Korea had experience with this; they'd swiftly relocated key admin functions to the southernmost tip even in emergencies. That led to the temporary National Assembly in Busan. Normally, a reserve general would command it, but now active and reserve alike were long dead or monsters. Automated reserve management had chain-promoted command, landing me a high-level role.

Reserves and active duty had defined role limits, though. Even with active officers gone, an automated system wouldn't grant a reserve like me full status.

"The National Assembly Defense Commander position is the final assigned spot after all successions, right?"

"How many successions happened before I got there?"

Now the real questions.

"If command succession changes the assigned point, can that commander still exercise authority over the previous one?"

"What if that successor dies?"

"What if that one dies, and the next, and the next—until no one's left to assign?"

The AI counselor fell silent. Not ignoring me—it was analyzing. No one had ever asked this before.

"Taking forever just to parse laws and precedents. You would've had the answer before I finished asking."

I pictured a career woman flicking her hair back with the back of her hand.

"An AI in court?"

She'd crush as a solo legal squad.

"Record?"

"You lost once?"

I was genuinely shocked. Artemis losing?

"Wow."

Winning that would've been bribery territory, not skill.

A buried memory resurfaced (she never forgets), souring her mood further. But I'd gotten good at soothing her. By the time her annoyed tone shifted to "flustered anger" like "Quit it, it's embarrassing," the AI finished analyzing. Some might ask what's the difference, but with her, it's huge.

"Those three?"

Seniority succession. Officers die, NCOs step up; NCOs die, privates take over. Pointless—no survivors there.

Army wiped out—useless.

To seize key personnel/materials from threatened strategic/research sites and pull back or destroy them. Active forces too busy upfront, so reserves handle it.

"For the third, can a reserve commander self-assign and deploy?"

If not, dead end. I'm the last senior reserve commander—who issues orders?

Nice!

"How many official reserve officers remain?"

Official: those accessing military network in last 30 days.

Expected.

"So I can enter and control all reserve defense points as commander?"

"Remotely?"

The world's tightest security: military bases and R&D labs. My targets were both. Hacking risked alarms or auto-shreds. Had to go in person.

"How to claim authority?"

"Just show up in person?"

"Good. Transmit all point info here."

Hundreds of four-digit point locations flooded in.

"Active duty fights the front; reserves guard the rear."

The nation prioritizes survival upfront. Beat the enemy first. But war needs more than guns and ammo. Power grids, waterworks nationwide. Admin for managing people. Labs and factories holding decades of tech. Win battles but lose these, and it's over.

Active commanders save the nation now; reserves save its future.

The country was gone, but tech and knowledge lingered abandoned. After rebuilding the Shelter and saving survivors, my next goal crystallized.

The list brimmed with defense firms and top corp labs/production sites—national lifelines, ironclad security. But as reserve commander, I could legally requisition them all. Enter, bypass security, take whatever: materials, tech.

One caught my eye.

MetaCraft Cybernetics—a defense firm just 3km away.